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Russia’s richest man has taken advantage of a recent recovery in Facebook shares to cash in his chips.

Mail.ru, the Russian internet company controlled by Alisher Usmanov, made more than $525 million (£335 million) selling its 0.6 per cent stake in the US social network in July and August. It was free to sell the stake from May after a lock-in period ended, but held fire.

That show of patience proved lucrative as the shares shot up from $23.32 at the end of May to about $39 by mid-August. As confidence has increased in the company’s growth prospects, the shares